Toronto Public Health is pleased to open the nomination process to Toronto residents for the 2017 Public Health Champion Awards. The awards honour individuals and community organizations that have had a significant impact on public health innovation and improving health outcomes in Toronto.

"Over the years, we have seen many community leaders and organizations apply their impressive skills and determination to bring positive changes to improve the health of Toronto residents," said Councillor Joe Mihevc (Ward 21 St. Paul's), Chair of the Board of Health. "These award recipients represent some of the hard work and commitment of these individuals to making our city healthier for all."

A Board of Health committee will review all nominations and select one individual and one organization based on proven achievement in one or more of the following four areas:
• providing leadership
• fostering collaboration
• building community capacity through innovative health promotion strategies, and
• achieving impact by acting as a catalyst for positive change.

Over the past decade, many worthy recipients have been honoured, including the 2016 Public Health Champion Awards winners Sarah Miller and Agincourt Community Services Association.

• Sarah Miller was honoured for her efforts and activism in the environmental health sector that led to the Community Right to Know bylaw and the creation of Toronto Public Health's reporting program ChemTRAC, which collects yearly data from local businesses and institutions on 25 priority substances.

• Agincourt Community Services Association, a non-profit, multi-service agency, was honoured for more than 50 years of community support for underserved and vulnerable groups. Its contributions to the Toronto Poverty Reduction Strategy and the Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program have been instrumental in reducing health inequities in Toronto.
Members of the public are encouraged to nominate award recipients for 2017 until nominations close on April 30. More information about the awards including nomination forms, eligibility guidelines and a list of previous winners, are available at http://www.tph.to/phca.

The recipients of this year's awards will be honoured at an awards ceremony in June.

Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. In 2017, Toronto will honour Canada's 150th birthday with "TO Canada with Love," a year-long program of celebrations, commemorations and exhibitions. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TorontoComms and on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto.